For decades, Nels Cline carved out a career on the fringes of rock, jazz, and experimental music, balancing day jobs with an uncompromising artistic vision. Then, at nearly 50 years old, everything changed—he joined Wilco, bringing his avant-garde sensibilities into a beloved band and reaching a global audience. But Cline’s story isn’t one of sudden success; it’s about persistence, reinvention, and creative restlessness. In this episode, he reflects on his journey—from growing up in Los Angeles with his twin brother, drummer Alex Cline, to navigating the punk and avant-garde jazz scenes, to his latest album, Consentrik Quartet (Blue Note Records), which explores the tension between stillness and chaos, structure and improvisation. Cline speaks candidly about collaboration, musical identity, and the ever-evolving nature of his work, proving that there’s no single timeline for artistic success—only the drive to keep going.

289: Nels Cline

Originally released in 1983 by West German band Nena, this synth-pop classic has been reimagined by Michael Hearst for his 80 From the 80s project, featuring guest vocals by Olivier Conan (Chicha Libre, Las Rubias Del Norte).

Vocals - Olivier Conan
Drums - Christian Linsey
Everything else - Michael Hearst

99 Luftballons (feat. Olivier Conan)

The Love Cats

Forget You

There's Still a Riot Goin' On

This very tribal ecstatic dance set I recorded on the 22.03.2025 @ LovEcstatic Dance Paris - Célébration du Printemps. It was one stop on my „Love Yourself - new song release tour 2025“ through Europe. I played in 2 month 16 Ecstatic Dances in 15 different Dance Communities and I drove more than 10.000 km with the mobile home I rented for the tour. It was a journey of so much fun and deep connections with so many beautiful dancers and space holders of ecstatic dance - with always unique approaches of space holding and community energies. What a blessing !!!!

Love Yourself - new song release tour 2025

Greece: Arillas/Corfu (tour opening)
Switzerland: Zurich • Luzern
Spain: Barcelona • Monserrat
Germany: Munich • Darmstadt • Nürnberg • Heilbronn • Ulm • Munich 
Netherlands: Breda
France: Paris • Montpelier • Bussang/Colmar
Greece: Arillas/Corfu (tour closing)

Playlist

01: Space Deer - Schmoove Project Live @ Arillas - Soundgarden

02: SpaceDeer, Benjy Wertheimer and John de Kadt - One River Underwater

03: Bandish Projekt - Shloks

04: James Asher & Byron Metcalf - No Waiting

05: SpaceDeer X SavaBorsa (ft. Elena Mira) - Love Yourself

06: Mose - Merging 

07: Tor - The Other Rhythm

08: Tikki Masala & Gowax - Le Serpent Rmx

09: Cuarto Mundo - Sirocco

10: Najib Alhoush - Ya Aen Daly (Habibi Funk) 

11: Bee Gees - Stayin Alive

12: Solee - Feiern

13: PBH & Jack, Hannah Boleyn - Eat Organic 

14: Rey&Kjavik - Baba City

15: Boris Brejcha - Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (Victor Ruiz Remix)

16: Beatpella House - Candy Thief (Beatbox) 

17: SpaceDeer x SavaBorsa (ft. Elena Mira) - Love Yourself (Orfeas Remix)

18: Édith Piaf - Non, je ne regrette rien

19 Peter Gundry - Red Riding Hood

20: Olkan & la Vipère Rouge - Crocodile Logo

21: Mop Mop - I Wish I Was In Hell

22: Yann Muller, De Soffer - Mas Que Nada

23: Serge Gainsbourg - Black Trombone

24: Panivalkova - Let me

25: Saicharan Bhaskaruni - Hanuman Chalisa

26: Mayapuris - Mridanga (SavaBorsa SubMix)

27: Alexa Sunshine Rose - Arms of Love

28: Tetouze - Virgo.wav

29: Harmonic Sound Travel - Evening

Love Yourself (Ecstatic Dance Tour 2025)

When he was five years old, Max Pollak had a moment. Sitting in front of a black-and-white television in suburban Vienna, he saw Fred Astaire tap dancing for the first time. “I was so spellbound by his elegance and his effortless swinging persona that I immediately decided I have to learn how to do that,” he remembers. He didn’t understand the cultural context or the language, but he knew that whatever was happening on that screen — the rhythm, the movement, the magic — was something he had to pursue. That moment sparked a lifelong journey that would take him from Austria to Harlem to Havana and back again. Here, Max Pollak tells the remarkable story of how he taught himself to dance in a place where no formal tap training existed. Early on, improvisation wasn’t just part of his style — it was the only way forward. That instinctive relationship with rhythm would become the foundation of his unique voice as an artist. At 14, Pollak met his first mentor: Carnell Lyons, a master tap dancer from Kansas City who had relocated to Europe during the civil rights era. Lyons had grown up alongside Charlie Parker and had performed with jazz legends. He passed on not only the technical language of tap, but a deep awareness of the art form’s Black American roots. That relationship shaped the way Max approached dance — not just as choreography, but as culture. After moving to New York, Max began studying drums and enrolled in Bobby Sanabria’s Afro-Cuban ensemble at The New School. It was there that he was asked the question that would redefine his artistic path: Do you want to tap dance to Cuban music — or do you want to tap dance Cuban music? Inspired by that challenge, Pollak dove into Afro-Cuban music, learning the language of clave and fusing it with tap, body percussion, and voice. The result was RumbaTap — a groundbreaking synthesis of traditions that bridges continents and cultures. When members of the legendary Los Muñequitos de Matanzas saw Max perform, they asked him to teach them. That moment affirmed the authenticity of his approach and led to collaborations in Cuba that brought him closer to the source of the music he had been drawn to for so long. Today, Max Pollak is widely recognized as one of the most innovative tap dancers in the world. His contributions to the language of tap, particularly in blending it with Afro-Cuban music and body percussion, have earned him international recognition — including the rare honor of having his image featured on a United States postage stamp. He’s also a vocalist, drummer, composer, and storyteller. This week, he celebrates the 25th anniversary of RumbaTap with a special performance at 92NY, featuring members of Los Muñequitos. This episode came together unexpectedly, sparked by a tip from bassist and composer Alexis Cuadrado, who sent me the press release for the 92NY concert. I reached out to Max for a short interview — and the conversation turned out to be so rich and wide-ranging that I decided to share it in full. We talk about lineage, improvisation, spirituality, and what happens when you follow the rhythm only you can hear.

292: Max Pollak

The Reflex

(I've Had) The Time Of My Life

When Arturo O’Farrill was 19 years old, playing piano in a bar in upstate New York, he was spotted by Carla Bley—who promptly invited him to join her band. At the time, he was doing everything he could to distance himself from the legacy of his father, the legendary Cuban composer Chico O’Farrill. He avoided anything labeled “Latin” like his life depended on it. But as he tells it, the real turning point came when bassist Andy Gonzalez sat him down and played him the history of Afro Latin music. Arturo realized that the music he’d rejected might actually be his greatest treasure—and more complex and profound than he’d ever imagined. Since then, Arturo has built an extraordinary body of work as a composer, bandleader, educator, and activist. From founding the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra to creating his nonprofit Belongo—now building a major cultural center in Harlem—he’s dedicated his life to music that carries meaning. Not just swing, but sting. “You can pretend that music is pretty noise,” he says, “or you can think it’s only to soothe. But I don’t believe that’s the purpose of art.” In our conversation, Arturo opens up about identity, legacy, faith, creativity, and the urgent role of art in a broken world. Sometimes a conversation doesn’t just explore a person’s life—it opens a window into their soul. This was one of those.

293: Arturo O'Farrill

The Third story is a weekly podcast featuring long-form interviews with creative people of all types, hosted by me, Leo Sidran. Their stories of discovery, loss, ambition, identity, improvisation, risk, and reward are deeply moving and compelling for all of us as we embark on our own creative journeys.

289: Nels Cline

The Third Story Podcast

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